44 



L E P I S M A. 



The legs of these insects are slender and hairy, 

 ottering, in many species, various remarkable pecu- 

 liarities in the different sexes which have not hitherto 

 been sufficiently examined. In general, the six legs 

 are alike, but in some butterflies, which have thence 

 been termed Tetrapodcs, the fore legs are either very 

 small or occasionally rudimental. In the majority of 

 these insects, the only difference between the males 

 and females consists in the larger size of the latter, 

 arid especially of the abdominal portion of the body. 

 The colours of the males are, however, often more 

 brilliant, and the markings more decided, than in the 

 other sex. In some species of moths, the wings in 

 the females are very short, and quite unfitted for flight, 

 and in others they are entirely obsolete. Some females, 

 in this case, also much resemble this larvae, such as 

 those of Psyche and Olketicus. Various differences 

 also exist in the colours of the opposite sexes, as in 

 the orange-tip butterfly, of which the males have the I 

 lip of the anterior wings orange-coloured, no trace of 

 which is to be seen in the females ; or still more 

 strikingly in the ghosr.moth (Hepialiis hiimuli), or the 

 muslin moth, (arctia mevdica,} in which the colour of 

 the wings is entirely different in the opposite sexes. 

 Mai.y instances have been observed, in which the 

 same specimen has exhibited the characters both of 

 the male and female insect, half of the body being 

 masculine and the other half feminine ; and we have 

 seen at Berlin a specimen of the scarce egger-moth, 

 which was actually quartered in this manner, the 

 front part of the body and front wings being half 

 male and half female, and the hind part and hind 

 wings half female and half male. M. Andersegg, a 

 Swiss entomologist, has also observed a specimen of 

 Selina, which exhibited not only hermaphroclitism, 

 but also hybridism, one side being that of a male, 

 S. ramosa, the other a female, 5. aurita, 



These insects undergo the ordinary transformations 

 to which insects are subject, being produced from 

 eggs, and appearing as caterpillars, after which they 

 become pupa; or chrysalides, and finally arrive at the 

 perfect state ; but as we have already, in our articles 

 INSECTS, CATERPILLAR, COCOON, CHRYSALIS, and 

 BUTTERFLY, described these various states, we shall 

 now content ourselves with a short notice of the chief 

 modes of distribution of the insects. 



In the earlier editions of the Systema Naturae Lin- 

 naeus adopted only two genera ; namely Papilio for the 

 butterflies, and Phakena for the moths. In the last 

 editions, however, he added a third genus, Sphinx, 

 and subdivided these three groups in the following 

 manner : 



1. Papilio. Antennae clavate. 



A. Equites. Posterior margin of the wing 

 longer than the anal margin, divided into Tro- 

 jans, having red spots on the breast, and 

 Greeks having no spots. 



B. Heliconii. Wings narrow, entire, often almost 

 naked. 



C. Danai. Wings entire, divided into the Can- 

 didi or whites, anAfcstivi or variegated. 



D. Nympliales. Wings dentated, divided into the 

 Ocellati, or those with eye-like spots, and the 

 Phalerati, or those with simple spots. 



E. Plebeii. Caterpillars, short, thick divided 

 into the Rurales, or those with dark spots, 

 and the Urbicol<s with transparent spots. 



2. Sphinx. Antennae prismatic, thickest in th 

 middle. 



3. Phaltena. Antennue setaceous, often feathered', 

 divided into 



A. Atlaci. Wings soaiewhat extended and in- 

 clined at rest. 



B. Bombyccs. Wings crossed upon the body, 

 antenna; pectin, ited. 



C. Noctuce. Wings crossed upon the body, 

 antennae setaceous. 



D. Geometrce. Wings horizontal. 



E. Tortrices. Wings very obtuse, front margin 

 curved. 



F. Pyrales. Wings forming with the body a 

 furcate delta. 



G. Tinete. Wings rolled into a cylinder. 

 H. Alucita:. Wings digitated. 



Latreille adopted the Linntean groups, to which he 

 gave the names of 1. Diurna (day fliers). 2. Cre- 

 puicularia (twilight fliers) ; and 3. Nocturna (night 

 fliers). This mode of primary distinction has also 

 been adopted by Mr. Stephens ; by whom, however, 

 a distinct mode of classification of the Nocturna, or 

 Linniran Phalcunfc, has been proposed, and by whom 

 the following groups, considered as of equivalent 

 rank with the Diurna and Crepuscidaria, have been 

 formed. 



I. Lepidoptera pomcridiana, corresponding with 

 the Linnaean Bombyccs, and comprising four families : 

 Jlcpialidcc, BombycidcE, Notodontidce, and Arctiidce. 



'2. Lepidoptera nocturna, corresponding with the 

 Linnaean Noctuce, and comprising two families, Li- 

 thosiida;, and Noctuidce. 



3. Lepidoptera sewiidiurna, corresponding with 

 the Linniean Geomctrcc and Pyiales, and comprising 

 the families Geometridcc, Platyptericida:, and Py- 

 ralidce. 



4. Lepidoptera vespertina, corresponding with the 

 Linmean Tortrices, Tinea:, and Alncitee, and compris- 

 ing the families TortricidfE, Yponomeutides, Tineidce, 

 and Alucitidce. 



There are still two other very valuable works upon 

 the lepidoptera, of the mode of distribution of which 

 we would have given an account ; their incomplete 

 state, however, prevents our doing this. We allude 

 to Dr. Horsfield's Lepidoptera Javanica, and the 

 before-mentioned work of M. Boisduval ; the former 

 of which, by its philosophical introduction, and the 

 latter by the careful description of all the species of 

 this order, which it will contain, are especially deserv- 

 ing of attention. The British species, of which 

 there are nearly 2000, have been described by Mr. 

 Stephens in his Illustrations of British Entomology, 

 and by the late lamented A. H. Haworth in his rare 

 Lepidoptera Britannica. 



LEP1SMA. Linnaeus. A genus of apterous insects, 

 belonging to the order Thysanura, Leach, and family 

 Lepismidce, having the body more or less compressed, 

 and posteriorly attenuated with a double series of 

 lateral moveable appendages or false legs on the 

 underside of the body, and the anus furnished with 

 three filaments. The thorax is composed of three seg- 

 ments, each bearing a pair of legs ; the antenna; are 

 long and setaceous. These insects are of small size, 

 and are clothed with a fine silvery kind of small 

 scales, which give the body a glittering appearance. 

 They run well, and some species leap to a consider- 

 able distance by means of the anal appendages, 

 whence they have obtained the names of spring- 

 tailed insects. They are chiefly found under stones 

 in damp situations, in moss, &c. The sugar louse, 



